Sindh Assembly on Friday passed three resolutions recommending Sindh Government to approach federal government to take notice of rising price of DAP and instruct its marketers to reduce its price, to ensure that cotton is lifted by the Trading Corporation of Pakistan at Rs 925 per 40 kg and to direct Pakistan Railways to recruit 50 percent staff for the newly introduced Karachi-Faisalabad Millat Train and Karachi-Lahore Karakoram Express from Karachi, Faisalabad and Lahore.
The session with Speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah in the chair began late as usual and after passing three resolutions and completing question hour, which related mines and mineral development, ended its nine days' sitting. The speaker read out order of the Sindh Governor adjourning the session sine die.
The resolution on the DAP issue was jointly moved by the opposition's jam Mehtab and treasury's Shakir Ali had pointed out the price of DAP standard packing had increased by Rs 150 just within one month. It was causing hardship to farmers. The resolution said either the price of DAP be lowered or the federal government might provide subsidy.
The second resolution moved by Jam Mehtab of the opposition said the Sindh Government should approach the federal government to ensure cotton growers for the right price of their produce. It further said the TCP be directed to lift cotton from the growers at Rs 925 per 40 kg.
In his views the chances of harassment to the growers at the hands of ginners and middleman were there.
Through the third resolution unanimously passed the Sindh Government was urged to approach the federal government to recruit 50 percent of staff for newly introduced Karachi-Faisalabad Millat Train and Karachi-Lahore Karakoram Express from Karachi, Faisalabad and Lahore.
The mover of the resolution, Syed Shakir Ali from the treasury benches said people being employed on contract only from Punjab was not acceptable as it deprived others their share of employment.
Shakir Ali pointed out on the orders of the minister for railways entire staff had been recruited from Faisalabad and Lahore. This arrangement had deprived the people of Sindh of due rights to recruitment in the Pakistan Railways.
The resolution said a protest be lodged with the ministry of railways in that regard and government be pursued to provide 50 percent share in recruitment.
During question hour, Sindh Minister for Mines and Mineral Development Irfanullah Khan Marwat informed the House a composite policy on exploration and excavation of granite and marble would be announced in December 2004 that would encourage private participation and investment in that sector.
To a question from Mohammed Idrees Siddiqui the minister said the policy in future would favour only those applicants who would use laser marble cutting technology.
He said the conventional method of excavation damages reserves and estimated 60-70 percent was damaged/wasted.
To a question from Ismail Soho the minister said out of an estimated 185 billion tons of coal reserves in Sindh, an estimated quantity of 176 billion tons was in Thar besides 7.11 billion tons in Sonda/Jhirk and 0.161 billion tons in Jhumpir/Meeting.
The minister said private sector would be welcomed to invest in coal extraction. Those companies showed interest in setting up power plants were being short-listed.
The minister in response to another question said no federal or provincial money was involved/incurred on those projects as the entire exercise was to encourage companies to come forward with BOT proposals. The government would only purchase power from them.
In most the investors had shown interest in setting up plants with 250 MW capacity costing dollars 700 million.
He said in Pakistan one percent power came from coal-based plants whereas in many other countries it was 50-90 percent.
To many supplementary questions the minister said locals would be preferred in recruitment. "Even if we have to train people we would do that."
The minister said one billion tons of granite deposits were estimated in Thar. A 40 feet wide and 60 km long road was being laid to reach the head to granite tail, he added.